Image Puzzle

ABSTRACT

A cylindrical puzzle for 3-D images may include a first cylinder section including a first image portion of an image and a second cylinder section including a second image portion of the image. The first cylinder section and the second cylinder section may be positioned adjacent to each other and rotated to align the first image portion with the second image portion to form the image. The image may be a three-dimensional image, and the first cylinder section may include a central aperture to align the first cylinder section with the second cylinder section.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a three-dimensional (3-D) picture display, and more particularly, to a 3-D picture display comprising a picture puzzle suitable for being used by people of different levels of intellectual capacity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Over the years, a variety of types of puzzles has been developed, serving as amusement devices, as teaching tools, and for educational purposes. These puzzles provide enjoyment and entertainment, and also facilitate in developing of children's perception of certain knowledge.

For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,325 discloses a three-dimensional crossword puzzle, comprising 125 cubical blocks having a letter or blank on each face thereof and adapted to be arranged in a cube consisting of five layers of blocks, each layer constituting an independent puzzle of twenty-five cubes. Each face of the cubical blocks bears a surface designation (color), and the surfaces with identical surface designation are exposed on the top of each layer. After five independent puzzles each having an identical surface designation (color) are solved, they are stacked one on the other, and the whole structure is turned 90 degrees in any direction, thereby exposing a layer having another surface designation on the top thereof. These layers are sequentially removed from the cube, placed onto a smooth surface, and another five independent puzzles are solved. The game continues further following the same algorithm until six sets of independent puzzles having different surface designations are solved.

This puzzle is primarily intended for entertainment and educational purposes, but not as a displaying device.

Multi-picture puzzles are popular among puzzle-solvers since they provide entertainment and are suitable for displaying solved pictures.

For instance, Des. Pat. No. 334,599 shows a puzzle toy comprising a three-dimensional structure of cube elements, each of which carries a part of a meaningful picture to be formed on a flat of the structure. Upon assembling the structure, each of six flats thereof displays a certain picture.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,534 discloses a multi-picture puzzle comprising a plurality of cubes each carrying a portion of a picture on each side thereof. The cubes are positioned on a base and are arranged in a block of a single cube width and with a displaying surface exposing respective sides of the cubes arranged in an array. The cubes may be re-arranged on the base so that to expose other sides thereof, thereby providing for six possible picture forming combinations. The cubes are secured to the base by means of magnetic attraction between the base and a ball inside of each cube.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,333 discloses a puzzle device having a set of cubes each provided with a visual matter on each of its faces. The cubes are arrangeable at least twice in a pre-determined way into a rectangular parallelepiped with the exposed faces of the cubes forming five of six external sides of the parallelepiped, so that the visual matter on the exposed faces of the cubes together form a predetermined visual format.

Although having certain advantages for their particular applications, the above-discussed picture puzzle devices use only external surfaces of a resulting structure, thereby limiting a number of pictures allowed to be displayed.

Besides, the afore-discussed puzzles, for being successfully solved and for displaying meaningful pictures of the external surfaces thereto, require the full set of the cube elements to be used. Therefore, each of them is intended for a certain level of intellectual capacity or for a certain age of a player, since the number of the cube elements involved in the puzzle solution determines the skill of a person capable of using the puzzle.

Other three-dimensional puzzles have been proposed, some of which incorporate pictures that one assembles by appropriately arranging the pieces of the puzzle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,502 discloses a three-dimensional six-sided picture puzzle cube formed of twenty-six blocks interconnected so that any column or row can be rotated about an axis of the cube. Only those sides of the blocks that are capable of being exposed carry any portion of a puzzle solution. Other three-dimensional puzzles formed of twenty-six interconnected blocks are also known, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,428,581, 4,437,667 and 5,427,375. Three-dimensional puzzles of blocks that are not interconnected are also known, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,605 to Fritzman.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,560 discloses a three-dimensional puzzle cube that offers multiple solutions, each presenting multiple composite images. The composite images are assembled by appropriately arranging individual blocks of the puzzle cube. The blocks are not interconnected, but free to be arranged in a manner required to display the images. The picture puzzle cube generally entails a three-dimensional array of blocks that are arrangeable to form a number of the composite images. The picture puzzle cube has six composite faces defined by the three-dimensional array of blocks, each composite faces being formed by a two-dimensional array of the blocks. Each block has six faces, each face having a fragmentary image of one of the composite images. Six composite images are visible on the six composite faces of the picture puzzle cube at any give time, with the picture puzzle cube having multiple solutions in which a given combination of six composite images are visible.

All of the above references disclose a cube puzzle and as a consequence the picture on the side of the cube can only be a two-dimensional picture.

SUMMARY

A cylindrical puzzle for 3-D images may include a first cylinder section including a first image portion of an image and a second cylinder section including a second image portion of the image. The first cylinder section and the second cylinder section may be positioned adjacent to each other and rotated to align the first image portion with the second image portion to form the image.

The image may be a three-dimensional image, and the first cylinder section may include a central aperture to align the first cylinder section with the second cylinder section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which, like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the 3-D image puzzle of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates another perspective view of the 3-D image puzzle of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the 3-D image puzzle with cylinder sections being offset substantially from side to side;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the 3-D image puzzle with cylinder sections being offset substantially front to back;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of the 3-D image puzzle with the cylinder sections;

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of the 3-D image puzzle;

FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom view of the 3-D image puzzle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a 3-D picture (image) puzzle 105 which may include a composite 3-D image 103 which may be formed from individual 3-D images 101. The 3-D image 103 or the 3-D image 101 may include geometric solid images, geometric images, pictures, people, animals or other images. The 3-D picture puzzle 105 may be shaped as a cylinder, rectangle, triangle or other polygon. The 3-D picture puzzle 105 is illustrated as a cylinder and may include a plurality of cylinder sections 107, and the cylinder section 107 may include an image portion 109 of image 101. By stacking the cylinder sections 107 in the correct order and orientation, and by rotating the cylindrical section 107 to the correct position, the composite 3-D image 103 can be achieved. The cylinder sections 107 may be formed from metal, plastic, wood or other appropriate material. The image may be formed from color pigment or other appropriate material. The image 103 may include carved or raised patterns of the image itself. They user of the cylindrical puzzle 105 should think vertically as well as rotationally in order to successfully achieve the correct position of the composite 3-D image 103. Each of the cylindrical section 107 includes an end surface 111 which may include a central aperture or a central guiding member to cooperate with the central aperture so that the cylindrical section 107 may be aligned and rotated with another cylindrical section 107.

FIG. 2 illustrates a 3-D picture puzzle 105 which may include a composite 3-D image 103 which may be formed from individual 3-D images 101. The 3-D image 103 or the 3-D image 101 illustrates geometric solid images. The 3-D picture puzzle 105 is illustrated as a cylinder and may include a plurality of cylinder sections 107, and the cylinder section 107 may include an image portion 109 of image 101. By stacking the cylinder sections 107 in the correct order, and by rotating the cylindrical section 107 to the correct position, the composite 3-D image 103 can be achieved. The user of the cylindrical puzzle 105 should think vertically as well as rotationally in order to successfully achieve the correct position of the composite 3-D image 103. Each of the cylindrical section 107 includes an end surface 111 which may include a central aperture or a central guiding member to cooperate with the central aperture so that the cylindrical section 107 may be aligned and rotated. Alternatively, the cylinder section 107 may not include a central aperture or central guiding member but may include a uniform method for interlocking which cooperates between cylinder sections 107 to hold the 3-D picture puzzle 105 in position. The thickness of the cylindrical section 107 may impact the complexity of the puzzle.

FIG. 3 illustrates a plurality of cylinder sections 107 which are offset from side to side.

FIG. 4 illustrates a plurality of cylinder sections 107 which are offset front to back. FIG. 4 additionally illustrates that the end surface 111 includes an optional center aperture 113 to cooperate with a central guide member 115.

FIG. 5 illustrates the cylindrical section 107 which had been separated from other cylindrical sections 107.

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of the cylindrical section 107 and illustrates the optional center aperture 113.

FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom view of the cylindrical section 107 and illustrates the optional center guide member 115.

The cylindrical sections 107 may be reduced in diameter, affecting the overall size of the puzzle. The cylindrical sections 107 may have a plurality of detachable circular sectors The circular sectors may cooperate together to hold the 3-D picture puzzle 105 in position, or may rely on other mechanisms.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. 

1. A cylindrical puzzle for 3-D images, comprising: a first cylinder section including a first image portion of an image; a second cylinder section including a second image portion of the image; wherein the first cylinder section and the second cylinder section is adapted to be positioned adjacent to each other and rotated to align the first image portion with the second image portion to form the image.
 2. A cylindrical puzzle for 3-D images as in claim 1, wherein the image is a three-dimensional image.
 3. A cylindrical puzzle for 3-D images as in claim 1, wherein the first cylinder section includes a central aperture to align the first cylinder section with the second cylinder section. 